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2011-03-11 16:08:40.000 – Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist

The weather is gross and mean and it beat me up today.

In addition to a disgusting mix of precipitation, incredible amounts of glaze ice, and (to say the least) difficult walking conditions on the deck and parapet, southeast winds also seem to bring whiny, petulant observers. It is currently drizzling and 32F. Now that sounds pretty harmless. Drizzle is dreary, but it usually doesn’t make observers want to curl up in the fetal position and cry for their mothers. It’s not the drizzle that has rendered us into the four year old versions of ourselves, but it certainly is the weather.

Freezing rain greeted me this morning as I went to de-ice (multiple times in an hour). While retrieving the precipitation can, my hood froze into a solid, helmet-like mass. Everything took longer due to slippery and windy conditions. It was awful, and there are still puddles in the weather room from our melting clothes. Every time I stepped out onto the observation deck, I was unceremoniously thrown into the thermo-shack. On the tower – let’s just say I don’t want to talk about it.

Winds unexpectedly ramped up, gusting over 100 mph out of the southeast (our favorite wind direction) as temperature soared into the mid thirties. It rained and drizzled, and after a few futile attempts at de-icing the microwave dish, the weather managed to dislodge the feet-thick ice chunk.

Now it is drizzling and winds are a calm 45 mph. Even though the tone of this comment is decidedly negative, there is a bright, shining beacon of hope. The winds will shift to the southwest tonight, and tomorrow we’ll be dealing with normal weather (snow and fog). Also, even though Annie has always told me the sun will come out tomorrow (it won’t) it will come out on Tuesday!

To me, today’s weather truly was the world’s worst. Blech.

Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist